PRIOR TO Cardiff City's trip to Walsall on Saturday, Gareth Whalley last found the net on September 27, 2001, playing for former club Bradford City.

It was during the 7-2 thrashing of Darlington in a Worthington Cup match at Valley Parade. It proved to be a fruitful night for the midfielder since he scored a hat-trick in that second-round tie.

Nearly 24 months later, on a fine afternoon at the Bescot Stadium, Whalley ended his goalscoring duck in the most dramatic fashion possible.

In the third minute of time added-on, and with referee Phil Joslin about to blow the final whistle on a Walsall victory, the City substitute fired a low, left-foot shot past the outstanding James Walker.

This was, at times, a bad-tempered contest. Both sides were reduced to 10 men after 65 minutes when City striker Alan Lee and Walsall defender Zigor Aranalde were shown red after kicking out at each other during a touchline skirmish.

That occurred shortly after Bluebirds goalkeeper Neil Alexander and Saddlers' striker Jorge Leitao were booked after an ugly confrontation just outside the visitors' penalty area.

But with virtually the last kick of the game Whalley silenced a hostile Bescot Stadium and the Bluebirds left the West Midlands with a point they more than deserved.

When City boss Lennie Lawrence learned it was Whalley's first goal for the club since moving to Ninian Park from Bradford in the summer of 2002, he smiled, "And it came at an opportune moment."

The 29-year-old from Manchester, who replaced John Robinson with 10 minutes remaining, was something of an unlikely hero.

He rarely scores goals and he has still not fully recovered from a tendonitis problem in his right foot.

But, with little more than 10 seconds left, Whalley got the better of Walker who had made a number of excellent saves to deny Graham Kavanagh, Richard Langley and John Robinson.

Asked how he felt after scoring his first goal for the Bluebirds, Whalley replied, "I'm ecstatic and I'm also relieved.

"I don't score many goals, but I hope this is the first of many.."

Recalling the strike that stunned the Saddlers, he said, "Peter Thorne laid the ball off for me. I asked him to leave it but he was going to turn and shoot but I got to the ball before him.

"I knew it had a chance of going in because I hit it quite sweetly."

Whalley's effort cancelled out Leitao's 51st-minute opener. Referee Phil Joslin, who had a very poor match, awarded the Saddlers a penalty after ruling Richard Langley had handled the ball.

Alexander deflected Aranalde's vicious spot-kick against the crossbar, but the Portuguese forward reacted quickly to head home the rebound.

But for all the deft flicks and touches of star man Paul Merson, a Walsall victory would have been unjust.

The Bluebirds forced Walker - who should have picked up the man of the match award and not Merson - to make a number of quality saves.

The pick of them came in the 70th-minute when Langley burst into the Saddlers' penalty box but the goalkeeper somehow managed to tip his fierce drive over the woodwork.

Former Arsenal, Aston Villa and England star Merson showed he is still a class act but only once did he trouble Alexander's goal and that was inside the quarter-of-an-hour when he unleashed a curling effort that just missed the target.

"We had loads of possession and we definitely deserved a point from this game," added Whalley.

"When we were 1-0 down we never panicked. We didn't go for the hit-and-hope approach and that helped us get the equaliser.

"Their 'keeper made some great saves and I thought maybe it wasn't going to be our day.

"We dominated the game for long periods, especially in the second half. We didn't score the goals we deserved."

With Republic of Ireland boss Brian Kerr reputedly in the stands, Kavanagh did his chances of an international call-up no harm whatsoever with another excellent display in the engine-room.

For fellow countryman Lee, though, it was an afternoon to forget. He has made a huge impact since joining City from Rotherham a few weeks, ago but his dismissal capped a disappointing personal performance.

Robert Earnshaw, too, had an off-day but, in the back four, James Collins once again admirably filled the void left by Danny Gabbidon, who was again missing with a foot injury.

"This was a funny game. I'm relieved to have got a point in the 93rd minute - but then, looking at the game overall, we should have won," said Lawrence.

"Walsall had one chance in the first half which the boy (Leitao) scuffed. They had a penalty which looked harsh and Neil made one other decent save - and that's it.

"But their 'keeper made six or seven really good saves, so I think we should have won the match.

"But a draw is the least we deserved. We kept our composure until the end and you have to give the players credit for that."